WO2017085050A1

WO2017085050A1 - Process for heat transfer between reactor feed and effluent

Info

Publication number: WO2017085050A1
Application number: PCT/EP2016/077705
Authority: WO
Inventors: Joris WILLIGENBURG VAN
Original assignee: Sabic Global Technologies B.V.
Priority date: 2015-11-19
Filing date: 2016-11-15
Publication date: 2017-05-26

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for heat transfer from a reactor effluent to a reactor feed comprising the steps of contacting a gaseous reactor feed with heat transfer particles having a higher temperature than the gaseous reactor feed, separating the thus obtained heated gaseous reactor feed from the cooled heat transfer particles, subjecting said heated gaseous reactor feed to a chemical conversion in a reactor to provide a gaseous reactor effluent, contacting the gaseous reactor effluent with heat transfer particles having a lower temperature than the gaseous reactor effluent and separating the thus obtained cooled gaseous reactor effluent from the heated heat transfer particles.

Description

PROCESS FOR HEAT TRANSFER BETWEEN REACTOR FEED AND EFFLUENT

A conventional method to preheat the feed/reactant to a reactor and recover the heat from the reactor effluent is to use heat from the reactor effluent in a feed- effluent heat exchanger, as is industry practice in many industrial applications. A disadvantage of this method is that a large heat exchange surface area is required to effectively recover all the heat. The pressure drop for such a heat exchanger may be limiting the operation pressure of such a process to undesirably higher pressures, such as steam cracker, propane dehydrogenation, butane dehydrogenation and methane to aromatics processes. Other disadvantages are a lack of flexibility to control the temperature of the reactor inlet (the amount of heat available and it temperature is limited) and fouling issues of this heat exchanger that will result in reduced throughput or decreased heat exchange over time and shorter reactor run lengths. Some processes may require rapid cooling of the reactor effluent, which may not be possible with this solution.

As an alternative to direct feed-effluent heat exchange, indirect heat exchange processes have been described which use a process stream or an utility stream for indirect heat exchange between the feed and the effluent. For instance, the feed may be heated in a heater to the desired reactor inlet temperature, wherein the heat required is originating from a utility stream, such as steam, hot oil or hot flue gas/radiant heat from a fired heater. The heated feed then is fed to a reactor and leaves reactor in a stream having either an increased (exothermic process) temperature or decreased temperature (endothermic process). To recover heat from the reactor effluent, the heat is transferred to a process or utility stream that increases in temperature and/or evaporates. A disadvantage of this indirect heat exchange method is that it requires and generates additional utilities, which requires additional equipment when required to direct heat exchange. Another disadvantage is that it may lead to energy inefficiencies, since the utilities generated in the second heat exchanger may be of a lower value, because of lower temperature, than the utilities required in the first heat exchanger or other parts of the process. This may result in an imbalance in the utilities: i.e. an oversupply of one utility and a shortage in another. A specific method for indirect heat exchange that is known from the prior art is a Circulating Balls Heat Exchanger ("CIBEX"); see Gat (1987) Journal of

Thermophysics and Heat Transfer 1(2) : 105-111. The CIBEX heat exchanger consists of a gas cooling section (gas generator) and an air heating section (air preheater) coupled with a stream of solid particles. The stream of particles falls through a hot gas stream, picking up heat and cooling the gas, then through the air stream, heating the latter. The cooled particles are returned to the top of the device and the heating/cooling cycle repeated.

It was an object of the present invention to provide an improved process for or heat transfer from a reactor effluent to a reactor feed using circulating heat transfer particles.

The solution to the above problem is achieved by providing the embodiments as described herein below and as characterized in the claims. Accordingly, the present invention provides a process for for heat transfer from a reactor effluent to a reactor feed comprising the steps of:

(a) contacting a gaseous reactor feed with heat transfer particles having a higher temperature than the gaseous reactor feed;

(b) separating the thus obtained heated gaseous reactor feed from the cooled heat transfer particles;

(c) subjecting said heated gaseous reactor feed to a chemical conversion in a reactor to provide a gaseous reactor effluent;

(d) contacting the gaseous reactor effluent with heat transfer particles having a lower temperature than the gaseous reactor effluent; and

(e) separating the thus obtained cooled gaseous reactor effluent from the heated heat transfer particles, wherein

the heated heat transfer particles obtained in step (e) are transported and contacted with the gaseous reactor feed in step (a) as the heat transfer particles having a higher temperature than the gaseous reactor feed, and

the cooled heat transfer particles obtained in step (b) are transported and contacted with the gaseous reactor effluent in step (d) as the heat transfer particles having a lower temperature than the gaseous reactor effluent. The process of the present invention provides a process wherein heat is exchanged from the reactor effluent to the reactor feed with only a very low less pressure drop over the reactor effluent, for instance a pressure drop of 0.2 bar or less, and a very low pressure drop over the reactor feed, for instance a pressure drop of 0.2 bar or less, while substantially increasing the reactor feed, for instance with more than 100 °C in temperature, and efficiently cooling the reactor outlet, for instance with more than 100 °C.

The advantage of using pressurized, cooled reactor effluent for transport gas of the cold particles to the reactor effluent heat recovery is that it contains the same components as the reactor effluent and no additional equipment is required for separating the gas from the reactor effluent.

The advantage of using part of the heated pressurized reactor feed is that is has the same components as the reactor feed and also the reactor products will be the same and no additional equipment is required for separating the gas from the reactor effluent.

Accordingly, the process of the present invention comprises contacting a gaseous reactor feed with heat transfer particles having a higher temperature than the gaseous reactor feed and a gaseous reactor effluent with heat transfer particles having a lower temperature than the gaseous reactor effluent. The term "heat transfer particles" as used herein relates to any solid material particles which are suitable to transfer heat when in contact with a gas and which are inert to said gas at the temperatures used in the process. Furthermore, the heat transfer particles used in the process of the present invention should have such mechanical properties that they can be used in many heat transfer cycles.

Accordingly, the heat transfer particles preferably are abrasion resistant and have sufficient impact strength to reduce the formation of fines. Moreover, the heat transfer particles preferably have a reduced abrasiveness to decrease the wear of the piping and vessels that come in contact with the heat transfer particles.

Preferably, the heat transfer particles are selected from the group consisting of mineral sand, silica, silicon carbide, silica-alumina, graphite, iron, steel and steatite.

The heat transfer particles preferably have a rounded shape, preferably an essentially spherical shape. The gaseous reactor feed or the gaseous reactor effluent is preferably contacted with heat transfer particles in a heat transfer vessel. Such a heat transfer vessel preferably has a cylindrical shape to ensure a uniformly distributed residence time of the heat transfer particles in the heat transfer vessel and an efficient heat transfer between the heat transfer particles and the gaseous reactor feed or the gaseous reactor effluent.

The direction of movement of the heat transfer particles may be counter current to the movement of the direction of the gas. Alternatively, the direction of movement of the heat transfer particles may be co current to the movement of the direction of the gas.

Preferably, the gaseous reactor feed is contacted with the heat transfer particles having a higher temperature than the gaseous reactor feed in step (a); and/or the gaseous reactor effluent is contacted with the heat transfer particles having a lower temperature than the gaseous reactor effluent in step (d) in a vessel wherein the heat transfer particles move from the top of the vessel to the bottom of the vessel and the gaseous reactor feed and/or the gaseous reactor effluent flow from the bottom of the vessel to the top of the vessel.

Hence, it is preferred that the direction of movement of the heat transfer particles may be counter current to the movement of the direction of the gas, in combination with the heat transfer particles moving from the top of the vessel to the bottom of the vessel. In such a process, the most efficient heat transfer between the gas and the heat transfer particles is achieved.

One advantage of the process of the present invention is that the heat transfer between the reactor effluent and the reactor feed can be easily adapted. Such means and methods to adjust the heat transfer include cooling or additional heating of the heat transfer particles that are transported between the heat exchange vessels and additional heating or cooling of the reactor feed and or the reactor effluent.

Preferably, the temperature of the separated heated gaseous reactor feed obtained in step (b) is adjusted in a heater or cooler before subjecting to the chemical conversion in step (c).

Preferably, the temperature of the separated heated heat transfer particles obtained in step (e) is adjusted in a heater or cooler before contacting with the gaseous reactor feed in step (a). Any means for adjusting the temperature of the heat transfer particles may be applied. Such means include, without limitation, exchanging heat against another medium, such as steam, hot oil and hot flue gas.

Preferably, the temperature of the reactor effluent is cooled in a cooler before contacting with heat transfer particles. This embodiment is particularly useful when a rapid temperature drop of the reactor effluent to more mild temperatures is particularly desired, for instance because components comprised in the reactor effluent are not fully stable at very high temperatures. Such processes include, but are not limited to, steam cracking, propane dehydrogenation and butane

dehydrogenation. While it would be less the case for processes that produce or contain components (methane, hydrogen, benzene) that are stable at very high temperatures, such as a temperature of 450 °C or more. Any means for cooling the temperature of the reactor effluent may be applied. Such means include, without limitation, quenching with cooling water, low-temperature steam and low- temperature oil . Furthermore, the process of the present invention further comprises separating the heated gaseous reactor feed from the cooled heat transfer particles and separating cooled gaseous reactor effluent from the heated heat transfer particles. Any method suitable for separating solids from a gas may be used for this separation. In the event that a (cylindrical) heat transfer vessel is used in the process of the present invention, the separation of the heat transfer particles and the heated or cooled gas streams may be achieved by gravity. This means that the heat transfer particles may be fed into the heat transfer vessel at a point that is located below the location where the heated or cooled gas streams are withdrawn from the heat transfer vessel. Other means and methods to separate the heat transfer particles from the heated or cooled gas streams include, without limitation, cyclonic separation and electrostatic separation.

Any suitable method to transport the heat transfer particles may be used, including transportation by gravity. Preferably, a pressurized gas for pneumatic transfer of the particles is used. Typical gasses used for solid transfer are compressed air or nitrogen.

Preferably, the separated heated heat transfer particles obtained in step (e) are transported to be contacted with the gaseous reactor feed in step (a) with pressurized gas.

Preferably, the pressurized gas is pressurized heated gaseous reactor feed . Preferably, the separated cooled heat transfer particles obtained in step (b) are transported to be contacted with the gaseous reactor effluent in step (d) with pressurized gas.

Preferably, the pressurized gas is pressurized cooled reactor effluent. The separated cooled gaseous reactor effluent consists of a mixture of different components, such as the products of the chemical conversion, unconverted feed, side-products and diluents. Therefore, the separated cooled gaseous reactor effluent may be subjected to separation to provide one or more purified streams of separated components. Preferably, the separated cooled gaseous reactor effluent obtained in step (e) is subjected to cooling and compression.

Such cooling and compression may be required for the subsequent separation of the different components comprised in the separated cooled gaseous reactor effluent, e.g. by distillation and/or by extraction. In addition thereto, the thus obtained compressed cooled gaseous reactor effluent may also be recycled in the process for heat transfer of the present invention, e.g. for the pneumatic transport of the heat transfer particles.

Preferably, a portion of the thus obtained compressed cooled gaseous reactor effluent is used to pneumatically transport the separated cooled heat transfer particles obtained in step (b) to be contacted with the gaseous reactor effluent in step (d).

Preferably, the separated cooled gaseous reactor effluent obtained in step (e) is subjected to cooling in a quench column before compression. Such cooling in a quench column is preferably performed before subjecting the separated cooled gaseous reactor effluent to compression. This has the additional advantage that any remains of the heat transfer particles that eventually are comprised in the separated cooled gaseous reactor effluent are removed and thus are prevented to enter into the compressor.

The process of the present invention further comprises subjecting the heated gaseous reactor feed to a chemical conversion in a reactor to provide a gaseous reactor effluent. In principle, any gas phase chemical conversion process which is performed at a process temperature above room temperature may be used in the process of the present invention. The process of the present invention is particularly useful in endothermic chemical conversion processes, preferably endothermic chemical conversion processes that are performed at a relatively low pressure, such as a pressure of up to 1000 kPa.

In principle, any reactor type suitable for gas-phase reactions may be used in the process of the present invention. Such reactors include, but are not limited to, fixed bed reactors, moving bed reactors and fluidized bed reactors. The process of the present invention may be particularly advantageous when used in combination with a fluidized bed reactor, since the particles in the fluidized bed may be the same particles used for the heat transfer. The process of the present invention may also be advantageously used in combination with a riser reactor, like in a FCC, since also in such a reactor type the catalyst particles may be used as heat transfer particles in accordance with the present invention.

Preferably, the chemical conversion in step (c) is selected from the group consisting of methane dehydroaromatisation, ethane dehydroaromatisation, propane dehydroaromatisation, butane dehydroarmatisation, propane dehydrogenation, butane dehydrogenation, catalytic naphtha cracking, converting sulfur dioxide into sulfur trioxide, hydrogen production through steam reforming, syngas production from hydrocarbons, thermal cracking of hydrocarbons under the presence of steam, thermal cracking of hydrocarbons under the presence of hydrogen and catalytic cracking of hydrocarbons under the presence of hydrogen.

In a methane dehydroaromatisation process, methane is converted into aromatic hydrocarbons in the presence of a catalyst that typically comprises molybdenum or a compound thereof on an aluminosilicate zeolite, such as ZSM-5 or MCM zeolite; see Chem. Soc. Rev., 2014, 43, 792. Typical methane dehydroaromatisation process conditions comprise a temperature of 700-800 °C and a pressure of 50-200 kPa.

Ethane dehydroaromatisation processes are well described and typically comprise contacting the ethane feed with an aluminosilicate catalyst further comprising a noble metal, such as platinum, and an attenuating metal, such as tin, lead, and germanium, under process conditions that typically comprise a temperature of 500- 750 °C and a pressure of 10 to 1000 kPa; see e.g. US 8,871,990 B2.

There are many aromatization technologies described in the prior art using C3-C8 aliphatic hydrocarbons as raw material; see e.g . US 4,056,575; US 4,157,356; US 4,180,689; Micropor. Mesopor. Mater 21, 439; WO 2004/013095 A2 and WO

2005/08515 Al. Accordingly, the aromatization catalyst may comprise a zeolite, preferably selected from the group consisting of ZSM-5 and zeolite L and may further comprising one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Ga, Zn, Ge and Pt. In case the feed mainly comprises C3-C5 aliphatic hydrocarbons, an acidic zeolite is preferred. As used herein, the term "acidic zeolite" relates to a zeolite in its default, protonic form. In case the feed mainly comprises C6-C8 hydrocarbons a non-acidic zeolite preferred. As used herein, the term "non-acidic zeolite" relates to a zeolite that is base-exchanged, preferably with an alkali metal or alkaline earth metals such as cesium, potassium, sodium, rubidium, barium, calcium, magnesium and mixtures thereof, to reduce acidity. Base-exchange may take place during synthesis of the zeolite with an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal being added as a component of the reaction mixture or may take place with a crystalline zeolite before or after deposition of a noble metal. The zeolite is base-exchanged to the extent that most or all of the cations associated with aluminum are alkali metal or alkaline earth metal. An example of a monovalent base:aluminum molar ratio in the zeolite after base exchange is at least about 0.9. Preferably, the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of HZSM-5 (wherein HZSM-5 describes ZSM-5 in its protonic form), Ga/HZSM-5, Zn/HZSM-5 and Pt/GeHZSM-5. The aromatization conditions may comprise a temperature of 400-600 °C, preferably 450-550 °C, more preferably 480-520 °C a pressure of 100-1000 kPa gauge, preferably 200-500 kPa gauge, and a Weight Hourly Space Velocity (WHSV) of 0.1-20 h ¹, preferably of 0.4-4 h ¹.

Propane dehydrogenation and butane dehydrogenation are performed at comparable conditions and even may be performed as a mixture. In a non-oxidative

dehydrogenation process, which is preferred in the context of the present invention, the process heat for the endothermic dehydrogenation reaction is provided by external heat sources such as hot flue gases obtained by burning of fuel gas or steam, in addition to the heat transfer from the gaseous reactor effluent to the gaseous reactor feed according to the present invention. In a non-oxidative dehydrogenation process, the process conditions generally comprise a temperature of 540-700 °C and a pressure of 25-500 kPa.

Catalytic cracking processes to produce light olefins from a naphtha feed may be performed in a fixed bed reactor type of in a fluidized catalytic bed process. Typical reaction conditions a temperature of 500-700 °C and a pressure of 10-800 kPa gauge. The catalytic cracking of high molecular weight hydrocarbons to lower weight hydrocarbons typically comprise reaction conditions including temperatures of from 400°C to 700°C, pressures of from about 10-3000 kPa, and weight hourly space velocities of from about 0.1 to about 100 hr ¹.

Various processes are known for converting sulfur dioxide into sulfur trioxide; see e.g. Muller, H. 2000. Sulfuric Acid and Sulfur Trioxide. Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Sulfur dioxide, generally made by the burning of sulfur or iron pyrite is purified and then oxidized by atmospheric oxygen at a temperature of 400- 600 °C in the presence of a catalyst consisting of vanadium pentoxide activated with potassium oxide on a diatomite or silica support.

In a process for producing hydrogen through steam reforming, a methane feed is contacted with a metal-based catalyst, preferably a nickel-based catalyst, in the presence of steam at a temperature of 700-1000 °C.

In a process for converting hydrocarbons to syngas, the hydrocarbon feed, such as natural gas, is converted to a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen at a temperature of 700-1100 °C in the presence of a metal-based catalyst, preferably nickel on a catalyst support, and steam.

Thermal cracking of hydrocarbons in the presence of steam, also known as steam cracking, relates to a petrochemical process in which saturated hydrocarbons are broken down into smaller, often unsaturated, hydrocarbons such as ethylene and propylene. In steam cracking gaseous hydrocarbon feeds like ethane, propane and butanes, or mixtures thereof, (gas cracking) or liquid hydrocarbon feeds like naphtha or gasoil (liquid cracking) is diluted with steam and briefly heated in a furnace without the presence of oxygen. Typically, the reaction temperature is 750-900 °C and the reaction is only allowed to take place very briefly, usually with residence times of 50-1000 milliseconds. Preferably, a relatively low process pressure is to be selected of atmospheric up to 175 kPa gauge.

Alternatively, hydrocarbons may be cracked in the presence of hydrogen in a process which is also described as hydropyrolysis of hydrocarbons. Such a hydropyrolysis process is a non-catalytic process wherein a hydrocarbon feed is subjected to a temperature of 700-900 °C for a short reaction time of less than 0.5 seconds in the presence of hydrogen.

Catalytic cracking of hydrocarbons under the presence of hydrogen is typically performed in the zeolite-bound high silica zeolite will contain an effective amount of at least one hydrogenation component of the type employed in hydrocracking catalysts. In a further aspect, the present invention also relates to a process installation suitable for performing the process of the invention. This process installation and the process as performed in said process installation is presented in figure 1.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a process installation to transfer heat from a reactor effluent to a reactor feed comprising :

a first heat transfer vessel (2) comprising an inlet for gaseous reactor feed (1), an inlet for hot heat transfer particles (18), an outlet for heated gaseous feed (3) and an outlet for cold heat transfer particles (13);

a reactor (4) comprising an inlet for heated gaseous feed (3) and an outlet for reactor effluent;

a second heat transfer vessel (5) comprising an inlet for reactor effluent, an inlet for cold heat transfer particles (14), an outlet for cooled reactor effluent (6) and an outlet for hot heat transfer particles (15), wherein

the hot heat transfer particles from outlet (15) are transported to the inlet for hot heat transfer particles (18), and

the cold heat transfer particles from outlet (13) are transported to the inlet for cold heat transfer particles (14).

Preferably, the transport of cold heat transfer particles from outlet (13) to the inlet for cold heat transfer particles (14) is achieved by gravity. This may be achieved by locating the first heat transfer vessel (2) above the second heat transfer vessel (5). This arrangement reduces the need of a lift gas to circulate the cold heat transfer particles.

Description of the figures

The gaseous reactor feed (1) is send to the bottom of a first, preferably cylindrical, heat transfer vessel (2) where it will rise and receive heat from falling heat transfer particles. The heated gaseous feed (3) may be further heated by a variety of methods (not drawn) if required and sent to reactor (4). The effluent of the reactor (4) is sent to a second, preferably cylindrical, heat transfer vessel (5) where it will rise and give off its heat to falling heat transfer particles. The particle velocity in (2) and (5) will be determined by their size, shape, and density, as well as the velocity, density and viscosity of the gas, while particle material and shape will determine its properties to accept or reject heat to/from the surrounding gas.

Preferably, pressurized heated gaseous feed (16) is used to transport the heated heat transfer particles from bottom of the second heat transfer vessel (5) to the top of first heat transfer vessel (2). This transport gas will end up in the reactor, as it will separate from the particles in the top of the first heat transfer vessel (2). This has the advantageous effect that it will not have great effect on the operation or capacity of the reactor (4) since the transport gas has approximately the same composition as the feed to the reactor. To transport the cooled heat transfer particles from bottom of the first heat transfer vessel (2) to the top of the second heat transfer vessel (5) it is preferred to use pressurized cooled reactor effluent, preferably after the optional compressor (9). This transport gas will end up in the inlet of optional compressor (9), as it will separate from the particles in the top of the first heat transfer vessel (5). Since the transport gas has approximately the same composition as the reactor effluent, this will not have great effect on the downstream separation of the reactor effluents.

For some purposes, it might be desirable to allow for control the reactor inlet temperature. This can be achieved by a heater or cooler in stream (3), where the heated gaseous feed is either cooled or heated to the desired reactor inlet temperature. Another method is to heat or cool the heat transfer particles and its transport gas by a (fired) heater / cooler present in stream (18). Since the heat transfer particles in stream (18) have a higher heat capacity per unit of volume this has the benefit that smaller equipment can be used.

Next to cooler (7) a quench column may be added that, next to additional cooling, which has the additional advantage that any particles comprised in the cooled gaseous reactor effluent will be removed, which prevents that particles may enter into the inlet of the optional compressor and prevent them from entering the optional compressor (9).

The following numerical references are used in Figure 1

(1) gaseous reactor feed

(2) first heat transfer vessel

(3) heated gaseous feed

(4) reactor

(5) second heat transfer vessel

(6) cooled gaseous reactor effluent

(7) optional gaseous reactor effluent cooler

(8) cooled gaseous reactor effluent

(9) optional compressor

(10) compressed cooled gaseous reactor effluent

(11) process product (12) cooled reactor effluent

(13) cooled heat transfer particles from the first heat transfer vessel (2)

(14) cooled heat transfer particles transport line

(15) heated heat transfer particles from the second heat transfer vessel (5) (16) heated gaseous feed

(17) feed

(18) heated heat transfer particles transport line

Claims

1. Process for heat transfer from a reactor effluent to a reactor feed comprising the steps of:

the heated heat transfer particles obtained in step (e) are transported and contacted with the gaseous reactor feed in step (a) as the heat transfer particles having a higher temperature than the gaseous reactor feed, and the cooled heat transfer particles obtained in step (b) are transported and contacted with the gaseous reactor effluent in step (d) as the heat transfer particles having a lower temperature than the gaseous reactor effluent.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the separated heated heat

transfer particles obtained in step (e) are transported to be contacted with the gaseous reactor feed in step (a) with pressurized gas.

3. The process according to claim 2, wherein the pressurized gas is pressurized heated gaseous reactor feed.

4. The process according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the separated

cooled heat transfer particles obtained in step (b) are transported to be contacted with the gaseous reactor effluent in step (d) with pressurized gas.

5. The process according to claim 4, wherein the pressurized gas is pressurized cooled reactor effluent.

6. The process according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the direction of movement of the heat transfer particles is counter current to the movement of the direction of the gas or wherein the direction of movement of the heat transfer particles is co current to the movement of the direction of the gas.

7. The process according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the gaseous reactor feed is contacted with the heat transfer particles having a higher

temperature than the gaseous reactor feed in step (a); and/or the gaseous reactor effluent is contacted with the heat transfer particles having a lower temperature than the gaseous reactor effluent in step (d) in a vessel wherein the heat transfer particles move from the top of the vessel to the bottom of the vessel and the gaseous reactor feed and/or the gaseous reactor effluent flow from the bottom of the vessel to the top of the vessel.

8. The process according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the temperature of the separated heated gaseous reactor feed obtained in step (b) is adjusted in a heater or cooler before subjecting to the chemical conversion in step (c).

9. The process according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the temperature of the separated heated heat transfer particles obtained in step (e) is adjusted in a heater or cooler before contacting with the gaseous reactor feed in step (a).

10. The process according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein the temperature of the reactor effluent is cooled in a cooler before contacting with heat transfer particles.

11. The process according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein the separated cooled gaseous reactor effluent obtained in step (e) is subjected to cooling and compression.

12. The process according to claim 11, wherein a portion of the thus obtained compressed cooled gaseous reactor effluent is used to pneumatically transport the separated cooled heat transfer particles obtained in step (b) to be contacted with the gaseous reactor effluent in step (d).

13. The process according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the separated cooled gaseous reactor effluent obtained in step (e) is subjected to cooling in a quench column before compression.

14. The process according to any one of claims 1-13, wherein the heat transfer particles are selected from the group consisting of mineral sand, silica, silicon carbide, silica-alumina, graphite, iron, steel and steatite.

15. The process according to any one of claims 1-14, wherein the chemical conversion in step (c) is selected from the group consisting of methane dehydroaromatisation, ethane dehydroaromatisation, propane

dehydroaromatisation, butane dehydroarmatisation, propane

dehydrogenation, butane dehydrogenation, catalytic naphtha cracking, converting sulfur dioxide into sulfur trioxide, hydrogen production through steam reforming, syngas production from hydrocarbons, thermal cracking of hydrocarbons under the presence of steam, thermal cracking of

hydrocarbons under the presence of hydrogen and catalytic cracking of hydrocarbons under the presence of hydrogen .